Lumia Camera update coming with HDR mode and 4K video

A leaked video has shown off the latest version of Nokia’s Camera app, a stalwart of Lumia phones, which finally rocks a much-needed HDR mode, 4K video recording and some performance updates.

Lumia devices are well known for offering strong photographic capabilities, and Microsoft is apparently hard at work to ensure that they keep getting better. A short video which appears to originate from Microsoft Malaysia has appeared online showing the next version of the Camera app for Lumia devices, and it promises to improve performance quite a bit.

The clip shows a user snapping images on a Lumia 830, Microsoft’s budget-friendly flagship, which is running version 5 of the Camera app. For a start it highlights the new speedy boot up time, which will be just a solitary second from button press to app opening. There’s also a sneak peek at the new HDR mode, which promises to allow users to take photographs and then adjust the brightness and contrast afterward.

Another improvement to look forward to is Moment Capture, a feature which will allow supported devices to begin capturing 4K video following a long press of the camera key. High quality, 8.3-megapixel stills can still be extracted from the video too, so you can capture any embarassing moments definitively.

Of course, the Camera update will bring the usual improvements too, such as the latest generation of image capturing algorithms to deliver better quality images in low light.

The new Camera app for Lumia phones is expected to roll out with the Denim update, which is aiming to hit the Lumia 930, Lumia Icon and Lumia 1520 this side of Christmas

The update will also bring the latest version of Cortana to devices, which will allow users to interact with the digital assistant by simply saying “Hey Cortana”, as well as a number of other improvements and fixes.